If you love your sofa, fish & stuff, house plants, etc. etc. etc. then DON'T GET A CAT.

If the cat you share living space with belongs to your partner/parent/roommate/whoever, please share with them your real feelings about cats so they can take precautions against what you might be driven to do by your hate.

I am sure the thread you are referring to is a "rant" and not serious. I can hate my cat at times. Doesn't mean I will ever hit him or keep his food, does not mean I don't love him or shouldn't have him. I didn't actually read the other thread bc I'm sure those threads are started out by people feeling passionate about something that happened and have since calmed down.

I can't let my bunny out of her pen unless my cat is locked away in a room and it makes him claw at the door and cry and bawl and sook. I must hate my cat.

I agree.. responsible pet ownership shouldn't be such a challenge for so many people... and 99% of it is knowing what you could be getting involved with BEFORE you bring any animal home. We live in a "buy/adopt now and research later" society where people believe the complete BS that many stores and shelters tell them and unfortunately animals suffer for it. Not everyone is always correct online either.

There is a HUGE difference between venting about a frustrating problem and playing the "victim" because of irresponsible choices.. which is what is being done when someone immediately dismisses the suggestions by people or explains away why the suggested solutions wouldn't work. If you have a cat who continually goes after aquarium inhabitants or plants and you have no means of keeping them apart, then don't keep both of them.. it's pretty simple. The RESPONSIBLE choice isn't always an easy one to make, and unfortunately people often make selfish choices that continue to cause problems rather than solve them.

Everyone is entitled to make mistakes... repeating them or refusing to do anything to change the outcome is where the problem is.

However, I had an issue with him and his brother (who was my cat until he went missing from my dad's) getting into the tanks for the water. Simple solution, lid, duct taped down on the back, which is where they were lifting it. lol

A lot of times people get pets and expect almost human intelligence from something hard wired to act on instinct. Your cat isn't going to think about the repercussions of invading the aquarium, that's your job.

To avoid issues, make sure to provide the proper barriers, or train your cat not to climb on the furniture around the tank. >_>

It's not as easy as rehoming them when they don't fit one's lifestyle! That's how so many pets end up in the system and on classifieds in the first place!

We got our dog when I was 10 years old. By the time I was in high school everybody had given up on his needs in the family. He was fed but not walked. We did not give him up, we changed our routine. My sister and I began a strict, hardy walking schedule until he was getting walked 4-5 times a day. This impacted our adolescent years dramatically, he passed away last year. I would re-live every single one of those lonely afternoons again.

More people need to realise it's not as simple as giving up their pets. People need to research, yes, but since all animals are different there is no black-white manual for all cats or dogs or rabbit or what have you.

Another example- our cat Oliver. Found out his owner abandoned him outside so we took him in. He is extremely playful and needy, however, my arms are scarred and scratched bc of his tendency to bite, and bite hard. And kick. He attacked my niece too (not so bad that she needed stitches or anything thankfully) so if we were to give him up to a shelter he would be euthanized bc no family would be able to change this biting unless they let him outside where he would wreak havoc on small wildlife. No amount of daily chasing and games or clicker training quells his biting.

It's not as easy as rehoming them when they don't fit one's lifestyle! That's how so many pets end up in the system and on classifieds in the first place!

We got our dog when I was 10 years old. By the time I was in high school everybody had given up on his needs in the family. He was fed but not walked. We did not give him up, we changed our routine. My sister and I began a strict, hardy walking schedule until he was getting walked 4-5 times a day. This impacted our adolescent years dramatically, he passed away last year. I would re-live every single one of those lonely afternoons again.

More people need to realise it's not as simple as giving up their pets. People need to research, yes, but since all animals are different there is no black-white manual for all cats or dogs or rabbit or what have you.

Another example- our cat Oliver. Found out his owner abandoned him outside so we took him in. He is extremely playful and needy, however, my arms are scarred and scratched bc of his tendency to bite, and bite hard. And kick. He attacked my niece too (not so bad that she needed stitches or anything thankfully) so if we were to give him up to a shelter he would be euthanized bc no family would be able to change this biting unless they let him outside where he would wreak havoc on small wildlife. No amount of daily chasing and games or clicker training quells his biting.

that's a lack of socialization during his kitten years. I had to anti-bite train my former barn kittens when we brought them home, it's hard, but worth it. You have to discipline him like his momma would have, otherwise, it doesn't make sense.

My boys got hissed at and pushed away, or scruffed (depending if claws were involved) a few times a day for about 2 weeks before it sunk in.

Oh skye. I will pay for a ticket for you to fly to NL and try to scold Oliver like his mama cat should have. Tried scruffing, tried the whole dominance thing.. Didn't work. Tried hissing and making angry cat growls.. Didn't work. Tried ignoring the behaviour and walking away.. Doesn't really work when I'm trying to study or write a paper. Tried distraction.. Didn't work.